Are physical therapists needed?

[puppypaws]

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Please, nobody hate me for asking this. I really do want to become a PT. But looking at what a physician can do, particularly PM&R, and combine that with athletic/personal trainers and PTAs, is there a gap that PTs are needed to fill? I admit this question could arise from my lack of knowledge about athletic and personal trainers. But PM&Rs can diagnose, and while I'm not sure if they can rehabilitate, they could make a rehabilitation plan for athletic/personal trainers or PTAs to carry out. I know PT is a more extensive degree than the trainers and PTAs, and that the PT profession is pushing for direct access, but currently, can PTs treat/provide things that other professions, for example a potential PM&R and PTA combo, can't? I just feel like PTs overlap in other fields a lot. Is there something PTs are needed for that other fields don't provide?

 

[jgold72288]

What about the myriad of fields PTs work in apart from outpatient ortho?

 

[Shyster]

Please, nobody hate me for asking this. I really do want to become a PT. But looking at what a physician can do, particularly PM&R, and combine that with athletic/personal trainers and PTAs, is there a gap that PTs are needed to fill? I admit this question could arise from my lack of knowledge about athletic and personal trainers. But PM&Rs can diagnose, and while I'm not sure if they can rehabilitate, they could make a rehabilitation plan for athletic/personal trainers or PTAs to carry out. I know PT is a more extensive degree than the trainers and PTAs, and that the PT profession is pushing for direct access, but currently, can PTs treat/provide things that other professions, for example a potential PM&R and PTA combo, can't? I just feel like PTs overlap in other fields a lot. Is there something PTs are needed for that other fields don't provide?

The answer is yes. PM&R doctors cannot do physical therapy which is why they prescribe physical therapy for their patients if they feel they need it. As for the use of PTA's: they can only be used under the direct supervision of a PT because PTA cannot do what PT's do which is to evaluate & assess, and come up with a treatment plan for patients. In other word,s a PT knows why something needs to be done and can direct the PTA to do it without the PTA knowing why it's necessary.

 

[goyo1010]

Firstly, if there were no PTs then there wouldn't be any PTAs, only PAs to assist physiatrists. lol

I'll get back to you on the rest later. Just popped in for a quick peek.

 

[atstudent]

Please, nobody hate me for asking this. I really do want to become a PT. But looking at what a physician can do, particularly PM&R, and combine that with athletic/personal trainers and PTAs, is there a gap that PTs are needed to fill? I admit this question could arise from my lack of knowledge about athletic and personal trainers. But PM&Rs can diagnose, and while I'm not sure if they can rehabilitate, they could make a rehabilitation plan for athletic/personal trainers or PTAs to carry out. I know PT is a more extensive degree than the trainers and PTAs, and that the PT profession is pushing for direct access, but currently, can PTs treat/provide things that other professions, for example a potential PM&R and PTA combo, can't? I just feel like PTs overlap in other fields a lot. Is there something PTs are needed for that other fields don't provide?

First of all, do not EVER think that an athletic trainer is ANYTHING LIKE a personal trainer. That'd be like saying oh the "physical/massage therapist." Really???


Second, yes physical therapists are needed. PTs work with a lot of individuals with a whole host of injuries and conditions in so many different settings.

While there are many conditions in an outpatient orthopedic clinic that can be handled by a myriad of healthcare professionals, there are also many things that other healthcare professionals (such as an athletic trainer) have no business handling.

 

[Fiveoboy11]

First of all, do not EVER think that an athletic trainer is ANYTHING LIKE a personal trainer. That'd be like saying oh the "physical/massage therapist." Really???


Second, yes physical therapists are needed. PTs work with a lot of individuals with a whole host of injuries and conditions in so many different settings.

While there are many conditions in an outpatient orthopedic clinic that can be handled by a myriad of healthcare professionals, there are also many things that other healthcare professionals (such as an athletic trainer) have no business handling.

👍

Not sure how a PM&R and PTA combo thought process developed either...stupid stupid stupid

 

[Bones26]

Why is this even a posted question? A simple Wikipedia search would suffice in educating yourself about different professions and their scopes of practice. How lazy. Good luck getting into PT (or any other kind) of school.

 

[puppypaws]

Sorry for asking this question. One of my professors told me that PM&Rs organize a rehabilitation plan for PTs to follow. I took this as meaning PM&Rs had the education to and did create the rehabilitation plans that physical therapists use in in-patient settings. After everyone called my question stupid, I looked up more about PM&R and saw that I must have taken what my professor told me the wrong way, and that PM&Rs include physical therapy in their rehabilitation plan for a patient, but that they don't have the background to plan out the physical therapy treatment that physical therapists provide. I had assumed that if PM&Rs could create a rehabilitation plan like PTs could, then a PTA could follow the rehabilitation plan in the same way they follow a PTs rehabilitation plan.

 

[goyo1010]

Sorry for asking this question. One of my professors told me that PM&Rs organize a rehabilitation plan for PTs to follow. I took this as meaning PM&Rs had the education to and did create the rehabilitation plans that physical therapists use in in-patient settings. After everyone called my question stupid, I looked up more about PM&R and saw that I must have taken what my professor told me the wrong way, and that PM&Rs include physical therapy in their rehabilitation plan for a patient, but that they don't have the background to plan out the physical therapy treatment that physical therapists provide. I had assumed that if PM&Rs could create a rehabilitation plan like PTs could, then a PTA could follow the rehabilitation plan in the same way they follow a PTs rehabilitation plan.

That's okay. Hearing things from professors that contradict what you already know can be a bit unsettling, especially if it's misconstrued. At TIRR-Memorial Hermann here in Houston (I just finished my second half-day clinicals), the PM&Rs medically manage the patients, but all the physical therapy (evaluation, goal setting, treatment plans, discharge eval, etc.) are all done by the PT. The PM&R does do his or her own evaluation and provide their own orders in terms of treatment, but the PT mostly interprets that however he or she wants and does his or her own thing within the scope of practice.

 

[puppypaws]

The PM&R does do his or her own evaluation and provide their own orders in terms of treatment, but the PT mostly interprets that however he or she wants and does his or her own thing within the scope of practice.

I think this is what is confusing me. What kind of orders for treatment does the PM&R give? If the PM&R can give orders for treatment to the PT, does that mean the PM&R does have the background knowledge to provide PT, or is it just very generalized orders? :/

 

[TxDPT14]

When I worked at an outpatient clinic, I noticed that usually the PM&Rs would kind of "suggest" a plan of action but the PTs are the ones who actually evaluate and decide what to do. In other words, as long as the PT gets the referral, they can decide what to do afterwards. Sometimes the doctors wouldn't even be able to evaluate the patient correctly and in those cases the PT would change the plan and let the doctor know what they were doing and why. Sorry people are calling your question stupid. It's not, don't worry about it. I've heard plenty of people say the same thing about the field of physical therapy, but I've found that its not true. Doctors don't get much education in the musculoskeletal system so PTs are definitely needed.

 

[NewDPT31]

yeah it's a common misconception that the docs are in complete control of what you do in therapy. When I did outpatient I would have PCPs order-Low Back pain-eval and tx with modalities. Obviously you just kind of ignore this and write your PT order in the eval saying what you will use. The exception is post surgical acl/shoulder etc-if they have a protocol save yourself and just follow it. I work in a SNF now and we had the surgeon send an order the other day for a hip orif that we had been seeing for a week or so. It said pt. to ambulate 4x/day, 3 days a week for 6 weeks. Progress pt. to 5lbs CLOSED KINETIC CHAIN. Obviously this doesn't make sense so you I just wrote an order saying "surgeon order inappropriate-continue ...etc.)
PTs are not MDs, but MDs are not PTs either. Only 4% of MD coursework is musculoskeletal related, with a majority of that being with gross anatomy. Now this is not to take anything away from MDs or get on the PT soapbox, this is fact and the best care for the patient is for the MD and PT(and ATC, etc) to work as a team, doing what they do.
Also-lay of ATCs, they are more valuable than people think. I would much rather have an ATC at a sporting event where my kid goes down with injury-why? Because they are trained in that. There is room for everyone in healthcare.

 

[jblil]

There is room for everyone in healthcare.

Couldn't have said it better!